Electric vehicles depend on being recharged with electric energy at regular intervals. Energy storages in such vehicles (e.g., lithium-ion battery packs) typically accept direct current (DC) power for recharging. Some charging stations provide a supply of DC that typically plugs into the vehicle by way of a cable. Some electric vehicles have onboard chargers that convert alternating current (AC) to DC and these vehicles can therefore accept a supply of AC, such as from an outlet in the vehicle owner's home or at another location.
Battery packs generate heat during use, both when charging and when power is being drawn from the cells (e.g., to power an electric motor). For this reason, battery packs typically have some form of cooling system. In the case of electric vehicles, this is an onboard cooling system that removes heat from the battery pack (e.g., by way of a coolant loop in between the cells). The removed heat is then generally released into the atmosphere, for example by way of a radiator, a condenser, and/or a chiller.